The Suhalmendi from Ascain

This hike takes you up the Suhalmendi for a magnificent 360° view of the Pyrenees and the ocean. You'll also discover the Basque pig that makes such delicious hams and other charcuterie.
There's also a nice little picnic area where you can enjoy your picnic.

Technical sheet

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  • Walking
    Activity: Walking
  • ↔
    Distance: 8.24 km
  • ◔
    Average duration: 3h 10 
  • ▲
    Difficulty: Moderate

  • ⚐
    Return to departure point: Yes
  • ↗
    Vertical gain: + 288 m
  • ↘
    Vertical drop: - 286 m

  • ▲
    Highest point: 299 m
  • ▼
    Lowest point: 11 m

Photos

Description of the walk

Access: From the D918, cross the Nivelle to enter the village of Ascain. In the village (before the church), turn left into the small street that runs between the Atelier Gourmand restaurant and the back of the pediment. Further on, at the crossroads, turn opposite to pass between the school and another pediment. After a hundred metres or so, there is a large car park on the left.

(S/E) From the car park, continue along the road, which rises slightly and is marked yellow. After 5 minutes, you will come to the B&B at Arraioa.
Go straight ahead on the gravel path marked yellow, pass a Canadian crossing and come to the banks of two small streams.

(1) Turn left to cross them and walk up the path, which is still signposted.
After about a quarter of an hour, the track twists to the right and ignores the path that runs straight ahead to reach the summit of Bizkarzun.

(2) Keep to the right on the track. Pass by a beautiful little barn and continue along the track. On the right is the summit of the Rhune.
Then reach the Jubilee Cross (the first Basque pig shelters are revealed).

(3) Walk along these shelters and you can see the kintoas.
After a few minutes (17 minutes from the cross), we reach the crossroads at the foot of Suhalmendi.

(4) Leave the track to the right and head up the path to the antenna.
Pottoks, rustic Basque horses, will be on the path.
It takes around ten minutes to reach the summit, from which you can see the village of Sare to the south, the Rhune to the south-west and the ocean to the north.

(5) To get back down, aim right for the village of Sare for around 100 metres, then find a small track that descends to the right to the edge of a wood. At this point, turn right to find the track marked in yellow.

(6) Take this track on the left, descend north-west and then turn south.
You will come to a signposted crossroads.

(7). The track twists to the right. At this bend, take a small path that descends to the right into the forest, running alongside a small stream. Narrow at first, the path widens and, after about 20 minutes of descent, reaches a tarmac road.

(8) Follow it to the right. After a hundred metres or so, go through a gate on the right and you'll come to a converted barn, the perfect place to take a break.

(9) Continue along the track, which descends gently, and about 20 minutes after the barn, you will reach the two streams you crossed on the outward journey.

(1) Leave them on the right and follow the path in the opposite direction to the car park (S/E).

Waypoints

  1. S/E : km 0 - alt. 11 m - Large car park
  2. 1 : km 0.64 - alt. 39 m - The two streams
  3. 2 : km 1.36 - alt. 112 m - Right-hand shoelace
  4. 3 : km 2.3 - alt. 219 m - Jubilee Cross
  5. 4 : km 3.23 - alt. 240 m - At the foot of Suhalmendi
  6. 5 : km 3.64 - alt. 299 m - Suhalmendi
  7. 6 : km 4.15 - alt. 241 m - Junction with the yellow marked track
  8. 7 : km 4.99 - alt. 208 m - Hard right
  9. 8 : km 5.99 - alt. 111 m - Tarmac road
  10. 9 : km 6.19 - alt. 97 m - Converted barn
  11. S/E : km 8.24 - alt. 13 m - Large car park

Practical information

Don't forget to bring water, as you'll need to reach9 to fill up. There are also toilets, stone benches and a shelter.
A picnic table with a lovely view is set up near the kintoas' shelters.

Shortcut: the final ascent of Suhalmendi can be avoided by linking the (4) and (6) via the signposted track. This is a good option for children or those who want to take it easy.

In the nearby area

Information panels explain the origins and rearing methods of kintoas (Basque pigs),
There's even a wooden cookery book!
At the top of Suhalmendi, you can make out the outline of a Napoleonic redoubt.

Reviews and comments

4.6 / 5
Based on 93 reviews

Reliability of the description
4.6 / 5
Clarity of route map
4.7 / 5
Route interest
4.6 / 5
User 26381768

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 30, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : Yes

+74 years old, completed in 3 hours and 30 minutes

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User 11435887

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 28, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Beautiful hike, stunning views, thankfully there are GPX tracks to follow the route. Nice waterfalls and streams. The lake was closed due to health issues.

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Jean-François Cimolino
Jean-François Cimolino

Overall rating : 4.7 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 12, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Enjoy your easy and interesting walk.

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Coco64
Coco64

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Jun 01, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

Very nice walk from Ascain under a magnificent sun, very beautiful panorama at the top of suhalmendi, and the return under a magnificent forest.

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stjo
stjo
• Last modified:

@Fox64 If the passage through the woods you mention is between points 7 and 8, I'm surprised, because it's a magnificent forest, with a path that overlooks the little gorge of the Arraïoko Erreka stream, a place full of poetry. As for the estimated time, this has been calculated automatically by the Visorando site according to the criteria published in the description, and having done this route several times, I can confirm that it's just what you need to enjoy this superb walk to the full, while looking at something other than the tips of your shoes.

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Fox64
Fox64

Overall rating : 4 / 5

Date of walk : Jan 19, 2025
Reliability of the description : ★★★★☆ Good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★☆ Good
Route interest : ★★★★☆ Good
Busy trail : No

Easy but pleasant walk with a section in the woods that was a little less pleasant.
On the other hand, done in 02h20 and not 03h10 without necessarily forcing you.

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Audreyy166
Audreyy166

Overall rating : 5 / 5

Date of walk : Nov 23, 2024
Reliability of the description : ★★★★★ Very good
Clarity of route map : ★★★★★ Very good
Route interest : ★★★★★ Very good
Busy trail : Yes

Great hike, doable for beginners. Avoid the following rainy days, as many piles of leaves could be slippery. Some trees have fallen as a result of the storm, but it's possible to walk under them or underneath them very easily. We recommend it!

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stjo
stjo

Strange, strange...
But I saw in a previous post that you also did this walk on 20 September: did you find any chestnuts that day too?

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AGUIRRE Louise
AGUIRRE Louise

I know what I did FINAL POINT

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stjo
stjo

But @AGUIRRE Louise that's absolutely impossible: chestnuts are in season in autumn!
I find it hard to understand you and your summer chestnuts!

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AGUIRRE Louise
AGUIRRE Louise

it was EXACTLY on 20 June !!!!

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stjo
stjo

@AGUIRRE Louise: in JUNE???

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AGUIRRE Louise
AGUIRRE Louise

I froze some because I had too many!
I wasn't the only one in the group of 50.

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stjo
stjo

... But... @AGUIRRE Louise... in June there's no fruit on the chestnut trees!

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AGUIRRE Louise
AGUIRRE Louise

20 June 2024 hike
Very legible map, so it was easy to follow the route, sometimes under the trees, sometimes in the sun. The route is very popular with locals AND "tourists".
not too hot, sunny, magnificent views (the ocean was blue!!!)
Pleasant picnic spot: benches, grass, chestnut trees for shade and magnificent fruit

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